Collapsible seat



June 5, 1951 M. A. BLECK 2,555,566

COLLAPSIBLE SEAT Filed March 4, 1947 INVENTOR MA LIN A. BLECK BYUmbra/$70M ATTORNEYS Patented June 5, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICECOLLAPSIBLE SEAT Marlin A. Bleck, Dayton, Ohio Application March 4,1947, Serial No. 732,270

8 Claims. (Cl. 155-431) This invention relates to portable chairs,particularly to collapsible, portable chairs for infants.

The object of the present invention is to provide a portable infantschair which may readily be folded into a small amount of space fortransportation.

Another object is to provide a collapsible and a portable infants chairwhich is of rigid construction and which will not collapse when opened.

Still another object is to provide a collapsible portable infants chairhaving an adjustable tray thereon.

Still another object is to provide a portable infants chair togetherwith means for securing the said chair to an object when in use.

These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent uponreference to the following description taken in connection with theattached drawings in which:

Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of one form of chair constructedaccording to this invention;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the chair when folded into its collapsedposition;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of construction;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the chair illustrated in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a vertical section indicated by the line 66 on Figure 5 andshowing the connection of the tray to the chair;

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the construction of Figure 4 in itscollapsed position;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side elevation of a chair having an auxiliarybrace thereon;

Figure 9 is a view of the modification shown in Figure 8 in its foldedposition and with the brace thereof employed for locking the chair inits collapsed position;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary view showing one manner of securing the endof the tray in place;

Figure 11 is a fragmentary view of a modified manner of hinging thechair seat and back together; and

Figure 12 is a fragmentary perspective view showing how hooks could beattached to the back of the seat for suspending the chair from the backof an automobile seat.

Referring to the drawings, the chair illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3comprises a bottom portion l0 having the side portions or arms l2 and I4hinged thereto as by the hinge indicated at l6. Each of the sideportions is somewhat less than the width of the bottom portion l0 sothat the said side portions can be folded flat against the bottom.

Rigid with the bottom portion ill along the back edge thereof is anupstanding transverse part l8. Extending upwardly from and hinged to thepart l8, as by the hinge 2B, is the back portion 22 of the chair.

At the forward edges of the side portions l2. and Id, there is a tray 24which may be pivoted as at 26 to the side portion it and detachablysecured as at 28 to the side portion 12. There are provided a pluralityof positions for the pivotal connection 26 in order to accommodate thetray 24 to infants of varying sizes, and there are the correspondingpositions 32 on the side portion I2 for receiving the detaching means at28.

Should it be desired to secure the chair in position, as for example tothe seat of another chair, the straps indicated by the numerals 34 and36 may be employed. These are adapted for passing around the object onwhich it is desired to place the chair, and one thereof comprises abuckle so that the said chair may be rigidly anchored.

While the tray 24 supports the side portions l 2 and [4 in their openedposition, there is preferably additionally provided the hooks 38 whichmay be pivoted to either the chair back 22 or to the side portions [2and I4 of the chair, and which are movable to engage a pin on theadjacent side of the said portions. As shown in the drawings, the hooks3B are pivoted on the chair back 22 and hook over the pins 40 on theside portions I2 and Hi.

When the chair shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 is to be collapsed, the hooks38 are disengaged from their respective pins 69, and the tray isdetached from the side portion 12 by releasing the detaching means at28. Thereafter, the tray 2 is pivoted upwardly about the pivot pin 2'?thereafter transversely about the pivot pin 25 until it lies along theside of the side portion M. The side portions l2 and i lmay then befolded flat against the seat portion 10. Thereafter, the back 22 isfolded down by pivoting it on its hinges 20 and the assembly as soon asthe position is illustrated in Figure 3. For retaining the chair in itsfolded position to facilitate transportation thereof, the

In the construction shown in Figures 4, 5, 6'

and 7, a similar arrangement is shown except that the side portions ofthe seat are pivoted to the back to fold thereagainst when the seat iscollapsed.

As shown in these figures, the back 601 has.

rigidly connected therewith the horizontally extending seat part 62 towhich is pivoted the main seat part 64. Along one edge of the backadjacent the lower part thereof, there is rigidly secured the side part66 to which is pivotally connected the side member 68. At the other sideof the back 60, there is pivoted the side member I0. Inasmuch as theside members pivot outwardly, the stop-plates I2 are provided which arerigidly secured to the seat portion M and which positively limit theoutward movement of the side portions when the chair is unfolded.

For supporting the tray on the side portions in such a manner that itmay be readil folded into collapsed position, there is provided a plate13 having a slot i l therein, the said plate being secured to the sideportion 38 as best seen in Figure 6. Slidable in the slot 5&- is a pinor rivet I6 which passes through one flap of a hinge 78, the other flapof which is secured to the underside of the tray 80.

The other end of the tray at the side portion I0 may be detachablysecured thereto in any desired manner, and one form of accomplishingthis is illustrated in Figure wherein the said side wall portion isreceived between a. pair of depending flanges 82 and 0d carried by thetray 80, and of which the flange 8 1 includes a pin 86 which engages ahole in the side wall to prevent the tray from being accidentallyremoved from position.

When the construction illustrated in Figures 4 through 7 is to becollapsed, the tray 30 is first disengaged from the side wall 10, isthen moved to a vertical position by means of the hinge I8, and is thenmoved downwardly by movement of the pin It in the slot M until the saidtray occupies substantially the dotted line position shown in Figure 5.Thereafter, the side wall I0 is turned to lie fiat across the back 60,and the side wall 18 is turned to lie flat across the outside of theside wall I0. Finally, the seat portion 64 is pivoted upwardly to lieagainst the tray 80, and the attaching straps 88 are secured in positionbetween the back 60 and the seat M. As in the case of the constructionshown in the Figures 1 and 2, the collapsed chair is readily portable bmeans of the hand grip $0 in the back portion thereof.

In Figures 8 and 9, there is illustrated a still further modificationwhich is similar in construction to the form shown in Figures 4 through'7. For this reason, the parts of Figures 8 and 9 which are similar tothose in Figures 4 through 7 are similarly numbered with the addition ofa subscript a. In this modification, there is additionally provided abrace 52 which is pivoted at 94 to the back 60a and at 96 to the seat64a. The brace itself has a pivot at 98 and is fully extend- 4 ed whenthe chair is open. Pivoted to one end of the brace, as at I00 is a linkI02 and on the other end of the brace is a pin I04 adapted forengagement by a notch in the end of the link. When the chair is folded,as shown in Figure 9, the link I02 may be unhooked from its retainingpin I06 and hooked instead, on the pin I04. Thus, the construction shownin Figures 8 and 9 provides for a brace member which adds to thestrength and rigidit of the chair when opened, and serves as well as alatching means for retaining the chair in its collapsed position.

An alternative method of pivoting the seat and back together is shown inFigure 11 wherein there is pivoted to the back I08 a bar H0. The pivotpoint IIZ where the said bar is joined to the back I08 is spacedsomewhat upwardly from the seat I'M. The bar extends downwardly andtoward the seat and is rigidl connected therewith as at MS. Thearrangement is such that when the seat I'M is pivoted upwardly about thepivot I I2, the seat becomes parallel with the back at a spacing whichwill exactly enclose therebetween the chair arms and the tray in thesame manner as they are enclosed in the seat and back as in Figure '7.

For adapting the chair to use in connection with an automobile, the backthereof may carry the clips or brackets H8 through which passthe hooksI20. The upper ends of the hooks are shaped exactly to pass over theedge of the car seat while the lower nd are bent to form stops to lockthe hooks properly when in use.

It will be understood that this invention is sus- 1 ceptible tomodification in order to adopt it to different usages and conditionsand, accordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications withinthis invention as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a collapsible seat for infants; back, seat, side and tra portions;hinge means connecting all of said portions together for permitting thefolding thereof toward each other into a fiat unit; holding the sidesand tray portions protected between said seat and back; releasable hookmeans for retaining the seat in its opened.

position; releasable means retaining the unit in its folded position;and manual means graspable for'transporting the folded unit.

2. In a collapsible seat; back, seat, side and tray portions; aplurality of hinges connecting said portions together for permitting thefolding together thereof into a substantially fiat unit; holding thesides and tray portions protected between said seat and back: means ofretaining said' seat in both its opened and collapsed positions; andtmeans of securing the opened seat to a suppor 3. In a collapsibleinfants seat; back, seat, side and tray portions; hinge means connectingsaid side portions with said seat portion to permit their being foldedflat thereagainst; means connecting said tray with one of said sideportions to be pivoted thereabout on two axes thereby to lie flatthereagainst; and hinge means in said back portion for permitting thesame to be folded flat against the folded tray and side portions.

4. In a collapsible infants seat; a two section back, seat, side andtray portions; means hingedly and pivotally connecting said tra with oneof said side portions and said side portions to said seat portion to befolded flat thereagainst; hinge means extending laterally across saidback portion for permitting the folding thereof between the sections andthe bringing of the main back portion flat against said side and trayportions; and means of retaining the seat in its folded positioncomprising flexible members carried beneath the said seat portion andadapted for extending across and into engagement with said back portion.

5. In a collapsible infants seat; back, side and seat portions; meanshingedly connecting said portions for permittin the folding thereof intoa substantially flat unit; a pivoted brace connected between said backportion and said seat portion for bracing the seat in its openedposition; and latching means adapted for being connected between thelegs of said brace when said seat is collapsed for retaining said seatin its cllapsed position.

6. In a collapsible infants chair; back, seat, side and tray portions;means hingedly connecting said tray portion to one of said sideportions, and said side portions to one of said seat and back portionsfor permitting said side and tray portions to be folded together intoparallelism with each other and with the said one of said side and seatportions; and hinge means extending laterally across the other of saidseat and back portions whereby the same can be folded inwardly so thatthe said side and tray portions are embraced between the said seat andback portions.

7. In a collapsible infants seat; back and seat portions; side portionshingedly connected with said back portion for being folded thereagainst;a tray portion; means pivotally supporting said tray portion on one ofsaid side portions to be folded flat thereagainst; hinge means in saidseat whereby the main seat portion is folded flat against the foldedside portion; and single means for bracing said seat in its openedposition and also for latching said seat together in its collapsedposition.

8. In a collapsible infants chair; back, side, tray, and a two-sectionseat portions; means hingedly connectin said tray to one of said sideportions and said side portions to said back portion for permitting saidside and tray portions to be folded together into parallelism with eachother and with one of said side and back portions; and hinge meansextending laterally across said seat portion whereby the main section ofsaid seat can be folded inwardly so that the said side and tray portionsare embraced between said back portion and said seat.

MARLIN A. BLECK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 755,183 Spanjer Mar. 22, 19041,339,891 Howe May 11, 1920 1,419,947 Schouten s- June 20, 19221,440,132 Chrisman Dec. 26, 1922 1,967,533 KOOp July 24, 1934 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 21,874 Australia of 1929

